Naturism is all of these things and more. It not only represents a value system shared by over 20 million people worldwide, it also represents a lifestyle, a way of life.

In more conservative Western societies such as Canada, England and the United States, naturism presents hurdles for those who embrace its gymnos philosophy – hurdles of public and private roles, image definition, balancing textile (clothed) and naturist behaviours, and of habitation arrangements regarding location, privacy and access.

As with other things people hold true or worthwhile, naturism is called upon to be defended or justified. Due to its basic value of body shamelessness, it is defended more frequently than…

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For most of human history, nudity was a natural and normal part of life. People were nude when environment and conditions favoured it.The “bathing suit” is a very recent invention dating back only about a century. It is only with the advent of scientific advancement and industrialization that humans began to be ashamed of their bodies.As we began to replace the natural world with manufactured goods, we grew to see all that was not man-made as imperfect. The human body became an object of shame to be hidden and shaped by clothing.Naturism began as a self-help reform movement in reaction to the debilitating aspects of industrialization and urbanization during the nineteenth century. At a time when medicine could neither explain nor cure disease, many people believed that crowded and unsanitary cities, tenement housing, restrictive victorian clothing, and oppressive working conditions all led to poor health and rampant illness. Some observers…

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I’m an AANR member even though I do not live in the US/Canada and can not take advantage of the membership benefits. I’m a meber to support naturism/nudism in some way. These organizations help promote nudism, win spaces where can safely enjoy a good time “naturally”. How can we get more naturist friendly spaces if we do not unite?

There are probably a lot of people in Britain who enjoy being naked but don’t feel there is any point in joining British Naturism. I think that they are doing a lot of things which should really matter to you, even if you don’t see any immediate direct benefit. Hence they do deserve your support. For foreign readers, the same thing applies to your own naturist associations or federations.

When I first took an interest in naturism I joined BN, as a matter of course. At the time I was working part time to pay my way through university and did not have much money to spare. I soon found that there were no local clubs which I could attend. There was a nudist swimming group, but they didn’t allow single men. Most of the events which BN hosted were far away and the ones which appealed to me were…